Books keep boredom (nỗi buồn tẻ, buồn chán; điều khó chịu) at bay and those who bury their nose in one never complain that time hangs heavy on their hands. Real godmothers should not have to wonder what to gift a child.

The fashionable cafe and bar district at Sea World, located opposite the Hilton and Bar Street, is only a few steps further, while the Mission Hills complex is just a few long golf drives away. If time hangs heavy on your hands by day, it’s good to know there’s also a cluster of local theme parks catering to all ages.

Immediately after the dumping, the sociologist Robert Weiss notes, people are in shock. For as long as two weeks, they’re also in denial. And then reality sets in. At this point, they find that time hangs heavy: many of life’s daily rituals have evaporated; they hardly know what to do with themselves. Moods swing relentlessly, encompassing protest, anger, panic, regret, self-doubt and consuming sadness. Some turn to alcohol or drugs; others rely on friends, therapists or self-help books.

The disgruntled (bực tức, cáu kỉnh, cằn nhằn, bất mãn) visitors who don’t like the food and complain the bed is too hard and won’t do a hand’s turn to help with the dishes or buy the odd loaf or bottle of wine.

It’s a black joke that the person who is trying to force the farm onto her children as a responsibility, insisting that it is bigger than they are, does not do a hand’s turn apart from lift a wine glass and ferry out nibbles.

At the age of 30, I remember sitting next to a man at dinner who asked what I did. 'I've got three children under four,' I said, beaming with self-importance. He was unimpressed. 'My mother was exactly like you,' he retorted. 'Never did a hand's turn of work all her life - except raise the six of us.' But I look back on the years I spent with my children as being the most fulfilling of my life. And it was only when my youngest began senior school that I realised I was teetering on the brink of becoming a desperate housewife unless I 'got a life'. And so, having happily put all my eggs in one basket, it was time to take a few out. And scramble them. To my amazement, the moment I decided to re-enter the workplace, I discovered my apparent lack of ambition had simply been masking a deliciously long pregnant pause. At 40, a sense of drive asserted itself.

A recent U.S. survey revealed that 94 percent of men and 85 percent of women admit to masturbating. In fact, the practice is so natural (tự nhiên) and normal (bình thường) even babies (trẻ em) do it from the time they are in the womb (tử cung, trong bụng mẹ).

masturbation can even "lower risk of type-2 diabetes (though this association may also be explained by greater overall health), reduce insomnia (chứng mất ngủ) through hormonal and tension release, and increase pelvic (khung xương chậu) floor strength through the contractions that happen during orgasm (cực khoái)."

If Mustafizur can get Rohit early in the innings, then Bangladesh will certainly have the upper hand considering that India's middle-order hasn't really impressed so far.

Accenture Plc. is on a merger and acquisition spree which saw the company acquire firms, technologies for widening and scale and capabilities that management felt were are required to get the upper hand in the market.

Advocates for the treaty have argued that it gives vital information to the U.S. and other allies about military troop movements in Russia, but critics counter that Russia uses the treaty to gain an upper hand on American forces.

Mrs. Theresa May could now look to Mr Tsipras for some more advice on how to gain an upper hand against Brussels in negotiations in order to strike a deal, even if allowing Jean-Claude Juncker to appear victorious helps squeeze it through.

Its security units rule with a high hand, even though they don't necessarily enjoy the people's moral support.

That tangled relationship has not prevented the three from managing their business with a high hand for more than two decades.

The London museum, which “hit the jackpot,” comes across more as homage to Freud’s ego ideal and particularly to the father ideal of Anna Freud, who managed her father’s memorial industry with a high hand.

Two weeks ago, Harel Locker became chairman. He's bringing a new and refreshing spirit into the company, and I'm confident that after having managed the Prime Minister's Office with a high hand, he'll bring us his rich experience in getting things done and his good connections, which will be very good for the company, both in Israel and overseas.

* The Commando Memorial is a monument in the Scottish Highlands, dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II. Situated around a mile from Spean Bridge village, it overlooks the training areas of the Commando Training Depot established in 1942 at Achnacarry Castle.

It was unveiled in 1952 by the Queen Mother, and has become one of Scotland's best-known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mòr.

"United we conquer" is inscribed around the top of the stone plinth (bệ tượng), while the original plaque on the stone plinth reads: "In memory of the officers and men of the commandos who died in the Second World War 1939–1945. This country was their training ground."

This kidnapping prank (trò đùa tinh nghịch/tinh quái, trò chơi khăm) gone wrong took place in January, when Leigh Ford, a 45-year-old man from Blackpool, England, made several frantic (điên cuồng, điên rồ) phone calls to his pregnant (đang mang thai) partner Zoe Doyle, telling her that he had been kidnapped (bắt cóc) and that he was going to be tortured (bị tra tấn) unless she transferred all the money she had into the kidnappers’ bank account. At first, the woman thought he was kidding, but he sounded really scared, and there were other men shouting in the background, threatening to cut off Leigh’s legs, and pour hot water on him. So she complied, but she also called the police.

...A helicopter and a trained hostage (con tin) negotiator (đàm phán viên) were called in for what sounded like a complicated situation, but no one called again until next morning, when Leigh himself came home like nothing had ever happened.

Police were waiting for him, and after asking him a few questions, they arrested him for wasting police time and resources.

Manchester United would get huge money for Alexis Sanchez and he’d fit hand in glove with Paris Saint-Germain, he’d score goals for fun at Bayern Munich, or be a hard-working conduit for Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus.

While the title stands for chief information security officer, it might make sense to reorganize the acronym to be chief security influence officer. The highest priorities of this job are to influence the rest of the executive team -- and the board -- about proper security and to make sure that safety posture works hand in glove with overarching business imperatives and strategies.

What doctors found as the source of her discomfort (sự bất an, bực dọc, khó chịu) was absolutely the last thing anyone could imagine (tưởng tượng).

Her pain was due to an infection (nhiễm trùng) caused by a dead turtle (rùa chết) found inside the woman's vagina (âm đạo).

The 26-year-old British expat told police she had been partying with other British friends a few nights earlier at Fañabé beach, but had no recollection (hồi tưởng, ký ức; kỷ niệm) as to how the dead reptile (loài bò sát; người hèn hạ đê tiện, người luồn cúi bợ đỡ) wound up lodged inside her that night.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Mad people cycling on the footpath down Ben Lomond. Photo courtesy shawnleishman.

'Take one's life in one's own hands' nghĩa là làm gì nguy hiểm đến tính mạng (risk being killed; to do something that is very dangerous, especially where you risk death).

Ví dụ

Every time you go parachuting you're taking your life in your hands.

Would you put your life in the hands of your Instagram followers?

I love adventure travel, so in each place there would need to be something iconic and adventure-related – like walking a chunk of the Great Wall of China, taking my life in my hands on a train ride in India or riding a bike in Siberia.

Speaking from the experience of biking hundreds of times from Madison’s east side to Centro Hispano, Urban League, Omega School, Penn Park, Genesis Center, Fountain of Life Church, Boys and Girls Club and other places on Madison’s south side, it’s not an exaggeration that you take your life in your hands every time you make your way around not particularly bike-friendly Park Street and Badger Road.

'Take the law into one's own hands' nghĩa là tự trừng phạt ai theo cách của mình, nhất là vi phạm pháp luật hoặc bạo lực, mà không nhờ đến công an hay chính quyền can thiệp (punish someone for an offense according to one's own ideas of justice, especially in an illegal or violent way; punish someone or do something to put a situation right, instead of waiting for the police or the legal system to take action); (old) 'thế thiên hành đạo', (giờ là) 'vô pháp vô thiên'.

Ví dụ

If the police tries to enter the homes of villagers illegally, the women of the village will take law in their own hands.

If the Otago University proctor won’t respect students’ private property rights, students may have to take matters into their own hands.

The fatalities in Soweto are evidence of what can happen when communities take the law into their own hands. I would like to urge residents to please work through official channels to expose these offenders.

The victim’s father, a daily wage labourer in Noida, had one question: “Why did the accused take the law into their own hands? Even if they thought that he had an intention to steal, they should have nabbed him and informed the police. Why did they beat him to death?”. The 16-year-old was killed on suspicion that he had allegedly entered a house to steal valuables, the police said.

Even if you feel a little anxious and afraid of criticism, this is the time to take your courage in both hands and present your creations to the world.

Expect good things to happen this month. Not just in your personal or romantic life, but in all areas. Especially if you've worked hard creating solutions over the last few months. Take your courage in both hands and go after what you want. Make appointments with people you have been afraid to approach. Write a blog about something that has challenged you. This is one of the strongest cycle months of the year. Make good use of the power available to you. Size up situations with your keen vision, and be confident that you are able to organize for your own benefit.

If you are a Hazara from Afghanistan, you will almost certainly be assessed as a refugee. But when your one-month visa expires, you have to hide, because if you are found by the police, they will jail you. You cannot work or send your children to school, because if you are found, they will jail you. If the UNHCR has assessed you as a refugee, you can wait in the shadows until some country offers to resettle you. That might take 20 or 30 years. Now, for just one minute, imagine you are that person. Will you wait in the shadows for 20 or 30 years, or will you take your courage in both hands and get on a boat? I have never met an Australian who would not get on the boat.

Sky's the limit as Murdoch shows his hand but Comcast is not out of this bidding war yet.

Viewers will either crack a satisfied smile or feel utterly taken for a ride when Shani finally shows his hand as a crafty (lắm mánh khóe, láu cá, xảo quyệt) manipulator (người lôi kéo, vận động (bằng mánh khóe)) of a narrative that’s less linear than we expect.

After the "chaotic" first day of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination hearing, Wednesday saw the 53-year-old appellate judge bombarded with questions from senators. The AP describes him as "treading carefully," and highlights some of the biggest issues raised during the second day of the hearing. Kavanaugh "didn't show his hand" when questioned about abortion rights (quyền phá thai), for example, though he did call Roe v. Wade "important precedent" that has "been reaffirmed many times over the past 45 years."

People are more inclined to put their hands in their pockets to help children.

We have schools that are desperately short of money and having to ask parents to put their hands in their pockets to stay afloat.

Optometrist (người chuyên đo thị lực để bán mắt kính) Michael Connor had been "waiting for someone to put their hands in their pockets" and he said Primark's donation was a welcome one.

There's a wealth – if you'll pardon the pun (sự chơi chữ) – of personal finance tools out there, but many of them involve having to put your hand into your pocket, dig deep and part with some hard-earned cash.

Popular resorts with lots of all-inclusive hotels are much more comprehensive now than they used to be too. “You really don’t need to put your hand into your pocket,” says Porter, “and let’s face it, after the whole build-up of a wedding, sometimes just flaking and being pampered has the desired effect.”

Many analysts (nhà phân tích) here predict (dự đoán) such a backlash (phản ứng mạnh) will play into the hands of politicians eager to weaken, if not dismantle (tháo dỡ, hủy bỏ, bãi bỏ), the European Union.

The Russian delegation spokesperson said that the claims are only playing "into the hands of the Western countries that plan to carry out another aggression (gây hấn, xâm lược) against Syria, using a staged (dàn dựng) chemical weapons (vũ khí hóa học) incident as an excuse (là cái cớ)".

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

'Many hands make light work' nghĩa là nhiều người chung sức chung lòng thì dễ thành công (the more people working together on something, the quicker and easier it will be to finish).

Ví dụ

It's a long rebuild and it's a process, but it works much better if everyone is helping. Many hands make light work, even in the NFL.

Some volunteer jobs are easy to fill, while others are more challenging. Finding volunteers to help with parking lot monitoring, for example, can be more difficult, he noted. “Many hands make light work,” he said.

"Many hands make light work" is a true statement for the Hickory Gables Dairy Farm in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The local farm is run by the De Jong family, where every family member plays a role in keeping the cows comfortable and happy while making quality milk.

"Our Finance team wanted to spend a day giving back to the community, and we know that many hands make light work,” said Ron Winowiecki, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Perrigo. “We are pleased that we could accomplish that goal while helping support the unique and important work that takes place at Benjamin’s Hope."

I have a farm where people come to pick blueberries, and I charge $3 per pound. The problem is that people think it is an open buffet and eat a lot of blueberries while in the field, and then they come back to the payment station with just $3 worth of blueberries. Without being rude, how can I let them know that they are stealing?

—Michelle

I must admit that when I’ve picked blueberries I too ate a few in the process. It’s just so tempting that I think it’s inhuman to ask people not to eat any. So if we accept that people will eat some blueberries in the process of picking, maybe the best approach is to charge an entrance fee to cover the cost of the snacking. But make sure to call it an entrance fee and not a snacking fee—otherwise people will try to maximize their benefit by eating even more blueberries.

There was a leadership overhaul at the State Security Agency (SSA) only when its ex-director- general, Arthur Fraser, tried to overplay his hand.

Did Putin Overplay his Hand over Macedonia Name Deal: The Kremlin's foreign policy increasingly seems to rest on the assumption that all countries are as corruptible as Vladimir Putin's Russia. This was evident most recently in Russia's alleged efforts to undermine an agreement between Greece and its tiny northern neighbour, the Republic of Macedonia, over the latter's name.

Undoubtedly, Trump will overplay his hand and overdo it in trying to make the point that the demonstrators’ theatrics are disrespectful to an American institution and show contempt for the fans and what they hold dear. Nonetheless, Republicans will use the issue to their advantage and hit Democrats for supporting the protesters, just as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz did to his opponent Rep. Beto O’Rourke last week.

* Leda and the Swan is a story and subject in art from Greek mythology in which the god Zeus, in the form of a swan (thiên nga), seduces (quyến rũ) Leda. According to later Greek mythology (thần thoại Hy Lạp), Leda bore (sinh ra) Helen and Polydeuces, children of Zeus, while at the same time bearing Castor and Clytemnestra, children of her husband Tyndareus, the King (vua) of Sparta. In the W. B. Yeats version, it is subtly suggested that Clytemnestra, although being the daughter of Tyndareus, has somehow been traumatized (làm cho bị thương, gây chấn thương) by what the swan has done to her mother. According to many versions of the story, Zeus took the form of a swan and seduced Leda on the same night she slept with her husband King Tyndareus. In some versions, she laid two eggs from which the children hatched. In other versions, Helen is a daughter of Nemesis, the goddess who personified (là hiện thân của, nhân cách hóa) the disaster (tai họa, thảm họa, điều bất hạnh) that awaited those suffering from the pride of Hubris.

The motif is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, and depicts how the sculptor (nhà điêu khắc) Pygmalion kisses his ivory statue (bức tượng ngà) Galatea, after the goddess Aphrodite (nữ thần sắc đẹp) has brought her to life.